Saddle Creek Update: Tim Kasher, Land of Talk, Adam Haworth Stephens (of Two Gallants) and Azure Ray

Fall will be good to Saddle Creek Records. The label has a slew of releases coming from familiar names to the label.

Most recent news is of Tim Kasher's solo album, "The Game of Monogamy," which will be released Oct. 5 on Saddle Creek.

The Cursive and The Good Life frontman has performed around Omaha near the holidays under the name Edelweis, but it was songs from this project.

"I wrote another record and I'm going to record it in January that I was going to call it 'Tim Kasher,' but I can never feel quite content with how dull my name sounds. I'm calling it Edelweis instead," he said then. "I really like that song a lot from 'The Sound of Music.' In a kind of a jagged way, that makes sense to me."

I guess he changed his mind.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to that album. Kasher's friends Patrick Newbery (of Cursive, Lacona and Head of Femur), Erin Tate (of Minus The Bear) and Matt Maginn (of Cursive) make appearances on the record.


From the press release:

This moody orchestral pop evokes a 1950s-esque, conservative atmosphere, setting the stage for a dilemma that remains thoroughly modern.  The protagonist's arc in The Game of Monogamy spans the wide range of distinctly human emotions tangled up around relationships in a starched shirt society.  Call it the score for our collective sexual plight: expression routinely becomes repression in the name of romance.

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Next on the list is Land of Talk, who released an EP and some videos last year. The band's second album, "Cloak and Cipher," will be out Aug. 24 on the Creek.

The press release calls it a "sophisticated, textured musical composition." After listening to one track ("Swift Coin"), I'd say it's layered. The vocals sound great and if the album is full of as much indie pop-rock as we get on this track, I'll be happy.

A fall tour will bring the band to Slowdown on Sept. 23.

Listen to and/or download the song "Swift Coin" below:



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What else? Adam Haworth Stephens, that's what else.

The lead singer and songwriter of duo Two Gallants will release his solo debut "We Live On Cliffs" on Sept. 28

It's good alternative, acoustic folk numbers and the album was created by an all-star cast. The record was produced by Grammy-winner Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, The Strokes, My Morning Jacket, The Shins, U2, Radiohead, The Cult and many, many more) and features Patrick Halahan and Bo Koster (both of My Morning Jacket), Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck and NIN), Joey Waronker (Beck, Ima Robot, R.EM.), Cody Votolato (The Blood Brothers, Jaguar Love) and others.

Stephens is opening up for Blitzen Trapper for a Aug. 11 show at the Bourbon Theatre in Lincoln. Might have to make the trip West for that one.

Listen to and/or download the song "The Cities That You've Burned" below:



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Last, but certainly not least, is Azure Ray. The ladies are releasing "Drawing Down The Moon" on Sept. 14.

I wrote about the new album and the band's "reunion" back in June.

Anyay, the big news with Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink's duo is a two-month, cross-country tour that will bring them all over the place. The band will stop at Slowdown on Nov. 3.